Device for mounting entomological specimens.



- Pata nted Apr. n, 1902. c. B. man,-

DEVICE FOR MOUNTING ENTOMULOGICAL SPECIMENS.

(No Model.)

m ummn'med 129p. 1a, 1000.)

m: uonms wzrzns m1. FHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. n. c.

Unrrnn brains arnnr union.

CLARENCE l3. RIKER, OF MAPLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

DEVICE FOR MOUNTlNG ENTOIVIOLOGICAL SPECHt'lENS.

- SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,750, dated April 1, 1902. Application filed February 15, 1900. crial No. 5,251- (No model.)

To (all whom, it may concern-.-

,Be it known that I, CLARENCE B. BIKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Maplewood, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Devices for Mounting Entomological Specimens,of which the follow ing is a specification.

The present invention relates to devices for mounting entomological and other natural-history specimens and the like, one object of the invention being to support all parts of the specimen in an elastic manner. Another object is to provide an efficient and simple means adapt-ed to the purposes in view, and other objects will appear more fully hereinafter. Hitherto a device for mounting such specimens has been formed from a plastic material in which a concave depression or cavity is made for the reception of the body of the specimen, the wings or the like being spread out on the flat top of the solid plaque,

a box or casing, in which said plaque is placed, and a transparent cover-plate, the whole being secured together in a suitable manner.

In the great majority of cases the body of the specimen in this prior method of construction is not supported both above and below, but is suspended, as it were, by the wings or other parts, which are clamped between the coverplate and the plaque,an arrangement in which the body is liable to be broken loose should the device fall or be thrown about, as in transportation.

According to the present invention the specimen is clamped between a transparent cover-plate and an elastic or yielding bed or support and is supported at substantially all points, the wings being spread out fiat, and with other similarly projecting parts, being bedded in the support. In this way each specimen forms it own cavity or depression in the support, and the cavity or depression is thus sure to be of asize suited to the specimen. In the preferred praetice of the invention the elastic or yielding support is placed in a box or the like. The specimen is placed thereon, with its wings and similarly projecting part-s spread out, and a glass cover-plate is then put on and gently forced down, thus forcing the specimen to embed itself in the support, and the plate is then secured to the box or to the bottom or back thereof. The under sides of the body and the wings are thus brought into contact at many points with the elastic support, and the recess formed in the support conforms in a general way to the shape and size of the specimen. The body of the specimen is also supported independently of the wings or other similarly projectin g parts, which are clamped between the support and the coveringplate. Batting loosely placed in a box and pressed down by the action of the covering-plate and specimen affords an excellent elastic bed or support of the character required, and cottonbatting gives a soft white tint that is very agreeable to the eye.

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan View showing a specimen in place. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on. the line 00 a: in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line pp in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4is a sectional view of a modified form of fastening.

The reference 1 indicates a lower section forming a suitable back or support, as the bottom of a frame or box, which is open at the top; 2, a filling of elastic or yieldingmaterial, which when free extends above the top of the box and is of a nature such that when pressed down into the box by the body and other parts of the specimen and the coverplate 3 the body and other parts of the specimen embed themselves in the support, (preferably this filling is cotton-batting in one or more layers;) 4:, the body of a specimen; .5, a concave depression formed in said filling by the body of the specimen as the cover-plate 3 is forced down to the position thereof shown in Figs. 2 and 3; 6, the wings (or similarly projecting parts) clamped between the plate 3 and the top of the filling 2 and embedded in the latter; 7, a cover-carrier or upper frame fitting over and telescoping on the box and having an opening 8 therein over which the plate 3 is placed; 9, adhesive strips securing the plate 3 to the carrier 7, said strips being secured to the top of the plate 3 and having depending flaps by which the plate 3 is secured to the frame 7, and in one form of the invention by which the frame 7 and the plate 3 are secured to the lower section or box or back 1; 10, adhesive strips securing .the carrier 7 to the box or the back or bottom 1 thereof, or pins 11 may be employed for fastening the cover-carrier 7 to the box, or the strip or strips 9 may be wide enough to extend beyond the edges of the flanges or sides of the carrier 7 and be folded under the'bottom of the box and secured thereto, as indicated in Fig. 4, in which case the strips 10 are dispensed with.

By sealing the device by means of the strip or strips 9 or strips 9 and 10 and by using,

sterilized material for the support all danger of decay of the specimen may be practically eliminated.

A pin 12 may be inserted in the body of the specimen and project from the back thereof to come into contact with the plate 3, thus causing a space to be formed between said plate and the body of the specimen, in which By placing a suitable frame about the device a wall ornament is secured which may be hung as any ordinary picture is hung.

I do not limit myself to the precise form of the invention shown in the drawings andhereinbefore described, since the invention may be embodied in many other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention and thescope of myclaims; nor do I limit myself to batting as the elastic support or bed for the specimens. I 7

What Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a device for. mounting entomological and other natural-history specimens and the like, the combination of a box, a filling of batting therein in which the specimen forms the depression for or beds itself, atransparent cover-plate, and means for securing said plate and box together, substantially as described.

p 2. A mounting for entomological and other natural-history specimens or the like, consisting of a box, a filling of batting therein on which the specimen is placed and in which the specimen forms the depression for or embeds itself, a transparent cover-plate resting on said batting and the specimen, and means for securing said plate and box together, whereby the specimen is pressed against the geeevso cover-plate by the batting and is elastically supported from behind at substantially all points, substantially as described.

3. In a sealed mount for entomological, natural-history, or botanical specimens, the combination with a backing or tablet having an upper surface adapted to receive and support a specimen; of an inclosing and protecting frame or boxingfor said backing comprising an upper section having a transparent top; a lower section upon which said backing rests; and a coveringand binding strip secured to said upper section and having depending flaps adapted to hold said lower section and its superposed backing in place.

4. In a sealed mount for entomological, natural-historyor botanical specimens; the combination with a backing or tablet having an upper surface adapted to receive and support a specimen; of an inclosingaud protecting frame or boxing for said backing comprising an upper section; a transparent top; a lower section upon which said backing rests; and acovering and binding strip pasted to said upper section and having flaps by means of which said transparent top is secured in place; and depending securing-flaps on said strip adapted to hold said lower section and its superposed backing in place.

5. A sealedmount for entomological, natural-history, or botanical specimens, comtween which and said yielding backing the specimen is held.

6. A sealed mount for entomological, natural-history, or botanical specimens comprising a backing or tablet of yielding fibrous material adapted to receive andsupport a specimen on its surface; a boxing or frame inclosing and protecting said backing; a transparent plate secured in said boxing, and

ent top, and a lower section on which said backing rests, fitted to said upper section.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 18th day of January, A. D. 1900.

CLARENCE I BIKER.

Witnesses:

CHAS. A. BRODEN,

\V. BARKLEY. 

